


Dream Fortress

by Chipper_Daily



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: But have some MerDib anyway, Consensual Somnophilia, Dubious Consentacles, Everyone's an adult, I know it's not MerMay, Irkens are Terrible (Invader Zim), Kids Don't Look, M/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Physical Abuse, Praise Kink, Tentacle Sex, Vaginal Sex, but wait there's more, i can't believe that's an official tag, mermaid au, or should i say, this is just porn, yeah it's that kind of fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-09-25
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:35:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,048
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24914719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chipper_Daily/pseuds/Chipper_Daily
Summary: The locals spoke of shapeless horrors that lurked beneath the waves and snatched their prey in the cold shallows, where they would be swept away and never seen again.
Relationships: Dib/Zim (Invader Zim)
Comments: 43
Kudos: 246





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative summary: Dib takes Zim to the Bone Zone.  
> Also, this takes place before the industrial revolution, so humans haven't gotten around to polluting the oceans to the point of being literally poison to Irkens.

Loose stone crunched beneath his polished boots, the pale blue pebbles worn smooth by the endless cycle of the tides over generations untold, stretching back long before Zim's people had set foot upon this cold and isolated land. 

The ocean spread as far as even Zim's superior eyes could see, impossibly black under the overcast night sky until the clouds and the sea merged into one on the distant horizon. Even though this miserable planet's moon was hidden behind the thick grey clouds, heavy with the promise of rain, the tides still followed the celestial body's invisible pull. Dark waters, cold and deep, swelled beneath the cover of night to swallow the steep slope of the beach and lap hungrily against the loose stones at Zim's feet. 

Legend has it that the locals, primitive and superstitious creatures, had warned Zim's people against approaching the shore under cover of night, back before they were exterminated during the Second Wave of infiltration long before Zim's banishment to the backwater planet. They spoke of shapeless horrors that lurked beneath the waves and snatched their prey in the cold shallows, where they would be swept away and never seen again. Superstitious nonsense. Yet still, to this day, the tales were whispered among the ranks of cadets and soldiers stationed close to the desolate beach, which spoke volumes about the catchiness of the fables, if nothing else. It was ridiculous, of course, and every Irken knew it. Clearly, what few bumbling, inferior locals that had gone 'missing' on the shore had most likely lost their footing on the slippery, treacherous stones after misjudging the distance to the dark water with their feeble eyesight, and wound up merely drowning and getting swept back out to the open sea as the tide receded. No Irken would fall victim to such a comedy of errors. 

Still, despite the scoffing and derision, no Irkens from the outpost ever wandered out to the beach after the sun had set. Though Zim was willing to bet that had more to do with the severe punishment for breaking curfew than any fear of silly made-up monsters. 

Thus, he figured the beach would be the best hiding spot after the sun dipped down below the horizon.

Zim brusquely rubbed the back of his hand across his swollen lip and grimaced at the spark of pain. He scowled down at the liquid shine of translucent pink smeared across his glove before he stiffly flicked it off into the darkness, the sound of small droplets hitting the water lost beneath the constant low drone of the waves lapping against stone, and roughly rubbed the rest off on the side of his tunic. He was already going to get in trouble for getting blood on his uniform, what was Commander Tor going to do, punish him harder for the additional stain? (Knowing Commander Tor, yes actually, that wasn't out of the realm of reason.)

Zim didn't fight a deep scowl as his small hands bunched at his sides, an ember of hot anger smouldering deep beneath his narrow ribs as he stomped down the length of the desolate rocky beach. As far as he was concerned, _he_ shouldn't be the one getting into trouble in the first place- it _should_ be the trio of night watchmen who had decided their evening rations were "too cold" when Zim delivered them. Zim's _ass_ they were. The trio had _obviously_ just been looking for an excuse to complain. He certainly hadn't _asked_ to catch the butt of one of the guard's plasma rifles in the jaw, back-talking or not. As far as Zim was concerned, Commander Tor should be going after _them_ for ruining another one of Zim's uniforms. (Not that his pig-headed commander would ever raise a hand to one of his fellow Tallers when he could discipline the miserable Smallers beneath his wretched command for the crime of getting slapped around too much instead.) He swiped his glove across his chin when he realized it was wet, and threw back his head with a frustrated huff up at the overcast sky when he pulled his hand away to discover a palmful of shimmering pink. He must have reopened the stupid split in his lip again. Zim _hated_ this stupid outpost, and all it's stupid commanders and every single stupid soldier- 

He crouched down to dip his hands into the lapping waves and grimaced upon splashing the icy cold water on his face. The water was _salty_ (disgusting), and he couldn't tell if it was the seawater itself or how unbelievably cold it was, but it left his skin tingling in its wake. Still, he gritted his teeth and plunged his hands back in to splash more of the awful water on his face. He refused to spend the night wandering around with blood all over his face like a teary-eyed chastised smeet. 

Suddenly, some force tightened around his wrists like a noose, and before Zim could so much as blink, he found himself submerged in frothing, icy darkness. He twisted and kicked wildly against the undertow, yet was utterly powerless against the force dragging him further and further away from the rocky beach towards the unfathomable depths of the rolling open ocean. Finally, his head breached the surface, and he coughed and sputtered into the cold night air, his breath fogging as he desperately rubbed salt water from his face. His eyes fluttered open long enough to realize with a sharp jolt of disbelieving horror just how far he'd been dragged from the shore before something long and sinuous and _alive_ coiled along the curve of his spine and over his shoulder to wrap tightly over his eyes, plunging his world into utter darkness. Zim stilled with a tight gasp as more tendrils ensnared his wrists and ankles, and he was drawn sharply back against a warm, surprisingly firm form. Something that felt suspiciously like fingers gripped his chin, sharp claw tips digging into Zim's skin as his head was tilted inquisitively to the side, then back. 

"What are you supposed to be?" Whatever had ensnared him mused mildly, it's chest rumbling against Zim's PAK as it tilted Zim's head back to prod at his cheek with a claw tip. "I've never seen anything like you before." 

"I am a soldier," Zim spat in return and bared his teeth to keep them from chattering. "And you have no idea what forces you're toying with!" 

"So it speaks," The voice purred, and Zim bristled at the condescending lilt as whatever had trapped him tilted them both back to drift further from the shore. "Tell me, little soldier, where are your weapons?" Zim squirmed against his binds with a grimace and scowled defiantly up at the source of the voice. If his PAK weren't submerged, he would _gladly_ show the insolent creature his full arsenal. As it was, he couldn't risk popping open his panels underwater and flooding the sensitive circuits that made up his very being. It was one of the few tactical disadvantages that his PAK provided. Another thumb, separate from the one pinching his jaw, swiped over his swollen lip as the voice hummed above him. "And why are you bleeding? Some _soldier._ " There was a pause before it continued softly. "So _sweet,_ you don't taste like anything I've ever encountered before- what _are_ you, little soldier?" 

"Why are you _tasting_ me?" Zim's face flinched into a mask of horror and disgust as he renewed his squirming efforts. "That's _gross,_ let me go!" 

"I could taste you in the water," The fingers cupping his jaw tightened as the voice dipped lower. "It's been so long since anything has wandered my beach, I thought it was abandoned." 

"It's not _your_ beach. It belongs to the Irken Empire." Zim sneered.

"Empires rise, and empires fall, but it is _always_ MY beach," The voice whispered as a thumb stroked lightly along Zim's jawline. "And _my_ cliffs, _my_ forest, _my_ valley. These waters have been my home far longer than that beach has been yours, little soldier, they obey me, and me alone. I could wash it all away with only a thought, and there's nothing you or your Empire could do to stop it." 

"The Irken Empire has demolished entire planets three times the size of this miserable rock with ease, _fish-stink,_ one pitiful valley is _nothing._ " 

" _Planets?_ " A note of surprise slipped into the voice as the hand released Zim's jaw. There was a pregnant pause where Zim could _feel_ the creature's eyes devouring him before it finally whispered. "You are a mystery, aren't you, little soldier?" The voice fell silent again as a crooked finger gently brushed the split in his lip before softly continuing. "You never did say why you were bleeding." Finally, the voice heaved a sigh and drew away. Zim felt the tendrils loosen around his limbs. "Back to shore with you." The bind around his eyes slipped free, and Zim whirled around to catch a glimpse of the strange creature that had ensnared him to find only ripples in the inky black surface. Sure enough, he felt the tug of the water closing around him like a fist, and in the blink of an eye, he was speeding back towards the beach. 

\---

Zim should have considered himself lucky, since the legend ended with 'and they were never seen again,' yet he found himself washed up on the shore, no worse for wear. He certainly didn't _feel_ very lucky upon receiving the anticipated wrath of his commanding officer for back-talking his superiors, as the nightguard trio had ratted him out after all. And soiling another uniform with both blood _and_ salt, proving he'd broken curfew too in an attempt to 'wash his uniform and hide evidence.' He hadn't breathed a word about the strange creature that had ensnared him and was the real reason behind his salt-encrusted uniform. It just felt easier to accept his punishment without further elaborating on his little unexpected adventure. As it was, the act of 'washing' his uniform in the shallows helped earn him a sharp backhand and suspended rations for the day. He didn't want to think about how much more severe it would have been if Commander Tor had any reason to accuse him of lying on top of everything else. 

Though if Zim were honest, it was because he already knew this is where he'd wind up again as soon as his boots had reconnected with solid ground the previous night. 

Loose stone crunched beneath his polished boots as he squirmed out of his tunic under the pale light of the moon. 

One of the few benefits of being a Smaller in the rigid Irken hierarchy was how easy it was to be overlooked. Zim's Tallers didn't care to keep track of him as long as he performed his duties and didn't kick up too much of a fuss, so it wasn't difficult to slip away without being noticed. The small Irken research outport hadn't exactly been designed with maximum security in mind either. The previous dominant species of the planet had been laughably primitive, and their simple weaponry had proven no threat against vastly superior Irken technology. Any of the other mindless beasts that inhabited this miserable rock proved to be a minor annoyance (like insect and rodent pests getting into the ration stores) or easily destroyed if they proved to be more troublesome (such as larger predatory creatures. Shaggy, stupid things with small eyes and sharp teeth, filled with vibrant red that reeked of filth and iron, like everything else on this desolate rock. Those were the worst to have to drag out far enough into the woods from the compound that the stink of their rotting meat wouldn't bother the Tallers). There was no need for walls or strict patrols- there was nothing that walked, crept, or crawled on the backwater planet that posed a threat to even the smallest among them.

Zim took a moment to quickly fold his tunic before carefully laying it on the rocks and shifting to slip off his leggings. There would be no evidence this time. He crouched to firmly place a large rock on top of his uniform to make sure it wouldn't blow away in the cool breeze rolling in from the ocean before standing upright and pinching his crossed arms tight against his bare skin. He couldn't help but feel a little silly, hunched in only his undergarments outside on the beach in the middle of the night well past curfew. The blue stones were icy under his bare feet, and he could faintly see his breath as he carefully picked his way down towards the lapping waves. 

Even beneath the bleached light of the planet's single moon, the choppy waters rolled, white froth upon inky black as far as the eye could see. Zim hesitated at the edge of the waves, sucked in a deep breath, and held it as a single leg slipped free from his PAK to glint cold silver in the pale moonlight. 

Only Irkens in one of the proper Soldier classes were supposed to have sharpened tips and edges, but, being stationed on this backwater planet had left Zim with plenty of time and not many tasks to fill it with, along with rigidly strict but minimal supervision. So Zim pinched a honing edge during one of his kitchen shifts shortly after his reassignment and had taken to whittling away the hours filing the edges back into his PAK legs while hiding in the back of the storage shed from Commander Tor or any of the other Taller officers, who were similarly bored and looking for something small that wasn't allowed to fight back.

The result was a far cry from the smooth, even, razor-sharp blade of a proper Irken Soldier, but the jagged edge was certainly up to the task. Zim didn't flinch as he wrapped one small, bare fist around the tip of his PAK leg, squeezed gently, and ripped the leg back into his PAK. Thin, translucent pink welled between his still-clenched fingers and dripped onto the blue stones between his feet. He released his held breath slowly as he crouched down, the waves seemed to reach up to meet him as he gingerly dipped his fist beneath the surface, unfurling his fingers as the salt made the gash in his palm tingle. He didn't have time for second thoughts before the noose tightened around his wrist, and he was swallowed by the frigid waves again. 

Like the previous night, Zim bobbed to the surface with a deep gasp, the stars arranged impossibly high above him in constellations as alien to him as the tendril that snapped over his eyes a moment later. The creature was rougher this time with binding his arms and legs and wrenched his head back as though it were testing how much it would take for his thin neck to break. For a split-second, Zim feared it was different than what he'd encountered the previous night until the same voice hissed low near his left antenna.

"You're not very smart, are you? It's not often a rabbit crawls back into the snare after escaping once, little soldier." 

"Don't call me _little._ " Zim snarled in return. Even blind and bound with his throat bared, he still had his pride.

"Oh?" The voice lilted, and the pressure eased off Zim's neck, allowing him to tip his head forward into a more natural position. "What would you have me call you then?" 

"Zim." He pursed his lips as he was pulled back against the same firm, muscular wall he'd been pinned to the previous night. He would bite off his tongue before admitting it, but he was grateful for the small warmth. His PAK would ensure no damage would come to his organic body, but the icy cold water was still… unpleasant, and he had to grit his teeth to keep them from chattering. 

" _Zim,_ " The voice breathed, as though testing how the shape of his name felt in it's mouth. The bindings holding his arms loosened enough for a large hand with too many long fingers to clamp around his forearm and drag his injured hand up to the surface. The tip of a sharp talon dipped in to drag lightly along the shallow cut in Zim's palm as the petite Irken shuddered. "Why did you call me?" 

" _What_ do I call you?" Zim deflected with a frown, which only deepened as his question was met with startled silence. Finally, he rolled his shoulders as much as he could while bound. "If you don't have a name, I'm going to call you fish-stink." 

"I have a name," The voice responded automatically, as though it weren't sure what to make of the little Irken entangled in its grasp. "It's just been a long time since anyone's asked for it." Silence fell between the two again until Zim tilted his head back as far as he could scowl up at the source of the voice.

"Well, _what is it?_ " Zim sneered.

"Dib." The voice sounded almost startled.

" _Dib?_ Seriously? That's it?" Zim's lip curled skeptically. "That's not very impressive." The grip on his injured arm shifted until the creature's thumb pressed against Zim's cut palm and pushed down into the jagged wound until Zim winced. 

" _Why_ did you call me?" Dib sounded annoyed now as his other hand shifted to harshly poke a sharp claw tip against the mostly-healed mark of Zim's split lip from the previous night. "Is it a hobby of yours to pick fights you can't win, _Zim?_ "

Zim pressed his lips together into a tight, defensive line and quickly turned away from the voice as much as Dib would allow. Honestly he… didn't know. He hadn't been able to stop thinking about the strange encounter the whole day. His first meeting with the Dib had been far from pleasant, yet he felt compelled to see if he could summon the peculiar creature again. The Irken had drifted through his daily duties and disciplines as though on auto-pilot, a nebula of hazy, indistinct emotions spiralling beneath his ribs until he found himself sneaking off the compound under the cover of night. Zim was… scared. Curious. _Lonely._

"Bored." Zim conceded softly with as much of a nonchalant shrug as he could manage. "The rest of this spinning ball of filth is mind-numbingly dull, but you seemed… interesting. Kind of." 

"It's true, then?" The bindings around Zim's wrist and ankles tightened reflexively, even as Dib drew his thumb away from the cut in Zim's palm. "You're really… not from this world?" 

"Don't insult me, Dib-thing, of course I'm not." Zim scoffed.

" _Incredible,_ " Dib breathed, and Zim bit his lip at soft awe in its tone. He felt Dib shift behind him, pulling the Irken closer to loom over him, and Zim's spooch flipped with the sudden realization of just how large the strange sea creature must be. "You have to tell me _everything._ " Dib continued with unabashed enthusiasm. "About space, the stars, the planet you came from and the other worlds you've seen- _everything!_ " 

"You have to do one thing for me first." Zim squirmed against his binds and tilted his face back in the direction of Dib's voice with a flat tone.

"What?" Dib sounded instantly suspicious.

" _Let go of me!_ " Zim spat and renewed his squirming efforts. 

"Oh… right." Dib at least had the decency to sound sheepish as the binds around Zim's wrist and ankles loosened and slipped free. 

Despite the confidence behind his demand, Zim sank beneath the waves immediately upon his release. The Irken flailed into the frigid water as two large hands scrambled to grab him around his narrow ribs and yank him up above the surface again. Zim hacked up seawater as Dib sputtered incredulously above him. 

"Can you not _swim,_ you idiot?!" 

"Zim is a master of swimming, Dib-stink!" Zim lied indignantly as he furiously rubbed his eyes. Submersion in any fluid could lead to severe complications if an Irken had to open their PAK for any reason. While basic training involved learning to at least _float_ reasonably long enough to be rescued, recreational swimming wasn't exactly a pastime among Irkens as a whole. He pulled his little fists away from his eyes, and any further retort died on his lips as he threw his head back and cracked his eyes open. 

The creature- the Dib- didn't look anything like Zim had imagined. Honestly, it didn't look like anything Zim had seen before, with its relatively small eyes (compared to an Irken, at least) and red-outlined horizontal pupils surrounded by pools of vibrant gold that seemed to glow faintly in the darkness. Its facial structure was similar but _different_ than an Irkens, more angular, with a more pronounced brow ridge, square jaw, and most disconcertingly, a strange triangular protrusion in the center, and two rounded half-disk flaps framing either side of it's head. The top of its head sported a mat of black fur, with a longer scythe-like tuft springing upright from the very front and center. Dib's eyes widened as he met Zim's gaze, his caramel-coloured cheeks darkening slightly in the moonlight.

"I- whoa. Your eyes are _huge._ " Dib's mouth cracked into a lopsided grin to reveal two rows of sharp white teeth. "You look like a bug."

Zim's antennas pressed flat against his scalp in annoyance.

"You look like a-" Zim floundered for a moment as he searched for some sort of comparison. The Dib's grin grew more insufferably smug as it became obvious Zim couldn't find one before the Irken slapped his fists against the surface of the water in frustration. "You look like an ugly _thing_ , and I hate your face!" 

\---

Zim didn't really hate the Dib-beast, though. Far from it, actually, his nightly rendezvous with the strange sea creature quickly became the most bearable part of Zim's exile. If he were in a generous mood, he might even admit to their secret nightly encounters being something he looked forward to. Where Dib would float on its- _his-_ back with Zim splayed across his chest and torso, held safely in place with one large, five-fingered hand while the long, sinuous black tentacles that made up the bottom half of his long form drifted idly behind them to blend in with the dark, choppy waters. And they would just... talk. About Zim's life before his reclassification and banishment, about the Irken language and culture, even just the physics of space itself to the extent of Zim's knowledge. Dib would pepper him with rapid-fire questions until either the sky would begin to brighten in the east or Zim would get overwhelmed and annoyed and demand to be returned to the shore.

There were other times when life was too cruel to brush off or ignore, when Zim had to limp across the rocks and felt too brittle to talk about anything, and Dib would fill the silence instead. He would chatter endlessly about lunar cycles and shifting seasons, about wooden ships and paper books that were so precious because they were so fragile, and the legends tied to the constellations spiralling in the skies high above the planet they shared. And it may well have been Zim's imagination, but he liked to pretend that maybe Dib handled him more gently on the days Zim felt most fragile. Lying belly to belly, those large hands cupping the small of his back with a kind of unbearable tenderness that made Zim ache inside as he rested his weary head upon his crossed arms on Dib's chest. The strange sea creature's words rumbled in his bones while he watched the subtle, ever-shifting patterns dance across the plane of Dib's skin. 

Zim was no stranger to pain, between his long years as a soldier and now his exile. Yet, this particular kind of hurt that unfurled its delicate petals beneath his ribs when he was enveloped by Dib's warmth, like a flower blossoming beneath the sunlight, was unfamiliar. It was intoxicating in a way he couldn't describe. Zim wanted to flinch away from it and be entirely consumed all at once. So every day he would drift through his tasks and accept his various punishments with the detached disinterest of a bystander. His thoughts ever tied to the hiss of waves over the rocks, the velvety silver light of the moon, and arms that were so much warmer than the frigid waters. 

As the nights grew longer and colder, Zim grew bolder, stayed out later. When caught breaking curfew, his punishments became more severe, but Zim only learned to be quicker and quieter in response. Still, the outpost was only so large and only had so many places he could hide. Occasionally getting caught was inevitable. 

Zim grimaced upon plopping down the usual rock to pin his hastily folded uniform and scooped his gloves up off the rocks as he stood. They were coming with him tonight. 

He steeled himself before delicately dipping his bare foot into the frigid water, shivers shooting up the rest of his body. Yet he carefully plodded deeper until the icy cold waves lapped at his thighs. He took a moment to slip one glove on delicately, dipped his other hand into the water and clenched his teeth at the sting of salt on the cracked skin before snatching his hand back and stuffing it into his other glove. It didn't take long- it never did- before he was carefully scooped up and swept away from the shore. 

Warm hands and strong arms replaced the rush of cold water, and Zim melted into the familiar embrace with a soft, grateful sigh. Dib immediately pinched Zim's thin wrist and lifted his arm above the water to raise an eyebrow at the black rubber glove. Zim flopped his head forward to bump against the sea creature's broad shoulder and grumbled a muffled _"don't ask."_

Commander Tor had confiscated Zim's gloves to punish the exile for breaking curfew again. He hadn't modified any of the smaller Irken's tasks, specifically his kitchen duties, leaving his hands a mess of blisters and burns. Zim would rather not have to endure the humiliation of explaining.

He didn't doubt that the Dib probably had some suspicions about the nature of Zim's role at the outpost, this certainly wasn't the first time he'd arrived sporting some sort of unusual injury, but there was so much tied into it that Zim just didn't want to touch on. There was a lot he honestly didn't know _how_ to explain to a being that had next to _no_ understanding of Irken culture. 

(And more that he simply didn't _want_ to explain- like how someone of Dib's impressive height would never demean themselves by speaking with a Smaller like Zim, outside of delivering orders, of course. Or how Zim shouldn't be socializing with an inferior alien creature like Dib in the first place.) 

Sure enough, the grip around Zim's wrist tightened, and there was a weighted pause before the sea creature softly, but sternly whispered.

" _Zim-_ "

"I said don't ask!" The little Irken snapped and quickly turned his face away from those uncannily sharp gold eyes. They stayed locked in heavy silence as they bobbed in the dark waves before Dib finally sighed. 

"Whenever I can taste you in the water like this, I get-" Dib began haltingly, his gaze shifted from Zim's glove to narrow darkly at the distant shoreline, his lips tugged into a thin, disapproving frown. "There's always a moment where I… worry. That one day, the blood's not going to stop. It's going to just... keep pouring into the water. And I don't- I don't think I could control myself if you-" His throat worked as he swallowed down the thought and turned those bright eyes back down to the little Irken clutched close to his chest. "They shouldn't treat you like this." 

"It is what it is." Zim shrugged dully in response. His banishment here was supposed to be a punishment, and while he certainly didn't _like_ it, he wasn't the one who made the rules. (And who knows? Maybe if he could show the Tallests that he could be a good, obedient Irken by enduring this, perhaps they would reconsider and allow Zim to return-) Something sharp twisted in Zim's chest, and he silently bit his lip as he shyly curled closer to Dib's warmth. 

The thought of returning to Irk wasn't as comforting as it used to be. 

Dib blessedly didn't respond. Instead, he lightly rested his chin on Zim's head with a deep sigh and slowly rubbed a soothing circle on the small of Zim's back. The hand clutching his wrist shifted to loosely cup Zim's little hand, their fingers gently entwining, and Zim didn't know why, but he closed his eyes and held his breath. The Dib often made Zim feel strange like this, like he was too empty and too full all at once.

"There's something I want to show you." Dib murmured, breaking the moment as he readjusted the smaller Irken in his arms. "But you need to do the, you know, bubble thing first." 

"It won't work if we go too deep." Zim turned to eye Dib suspiciously as the larger man effortlessly lifted him out of the water to allow Zim to access his PAK without fear of flooding it. The 'bubble thing' was a transparent membrane-helmet stored in his PAK that provided oxygen and protection for use in space, so Zim had no idea how much pressure it could withstand. And, honestly, he wasn't in too much of a rush to find out. 

"It's not deep, just far." 

Which was not as comforting as the Dib probably thought it was. Zim narrowed his eyes before huffing out a low grunt and deploying the thin membrane to cover his head and seal around his neck from the top panel of his PAK. 

Even Zim had to admit that swimming with the Dib was exhilarating. He would have thought the long tendrils that made up the sea being's tail would get, Zim didn't know, tangled or something, yet beneath the churning waves, the larger man moved with nothing short of grace. And surprising speed, Zim found himself clinging to Dib's shoulders for dear life. 

Their destination was one of the jagged cliff faces that framed the steep rocky beach and valley of Zim's outpost. Gaping black holes peppered the imposing rock face, typically only fully visible during low tide. Yawning caves, almost completely submerged during high tide, worn into the rock over thousands of years of pounding waves. The caves twined together to become a twisting, pitch-black labyrinth that Dib could navigate with apparent ease, and it struck Zim suddenly to wonder if this is where he lurked during the day. Was Dib taking Zim to his home? The thought made Zim feel strangely warm inside. 

Suddenly they were breaking the water's surface into pitch darkness. Zim's antenna tingled in the stale, claustrophobic air bubble even under his thin membrane, making him keenly aware he was in an enclosed space. He gingerly reached up and found the cave's roof not much further than the span of his antenna above him. Dib breached immediately in front of him and awkwardly ran a hand through his wet hair before licking his lip and shyly meeting Zim's gaze. 

"I wanted to show you my… collection." Zim didn't understand why Dib sounded so nervous since this was his idea in the first place. He slowly blinked as Dib paused for a moment to catch his lip between his sharp teeth. "It's my favourite place. I like to come here when I'm feeling, um, sad." His voice dipped lower as colour blossomed along his cheekbones. " _Lonely._ " He chewed his lip in thought for a moment before his gaze flicked back to Zim's as though something just occurred to him. "Can you see?" Zim nodded, and Dib's expression melted into a coy, boyish grin, white serrated teeth flashing in the darkness. "Okay, hold onto me. I think you're going to love this." With that, he turned around and dipped back under the surface. Zim wrapped his arms around his shoulders again and pressed close to Dib's strong back as the larger man dived down to the floor of the underwater cavern. 

Dib hesitated for a moment by the edge of what looked like a massive well, a black mouth carefully outlined by round pale stones, yawning in the cavern floor before delving into the inky black depths. The darkness here was absolute, not even the soft pink glow from Zim's PAK could reach the walls of the massive well. If not for his optic implants, Zim would be completely blind, and he idly wondered how Dib could see in an environment completely devoid of light such as this. The thought was purged from his mind as they neared the bottom of the well, and Zim realized it wasn't the same grey-ish blue as the rest of the cave system, but… white. He sucked in a tight breath and held it, his fists clenching against Dib's collarbones, prompting a worried glance back from the Dib as they drew close enough to the bottom for the indistinct shapes to take a clearer form. 

An untold number of hollow sockets gazed blindly back up at Zim as it suddenly clicked that the entire bottom of the gaping well was covered in a blanket of _bones._ Hundreds upon hundreds, perhaps even _thousands_ of them, twisted and hopelessly entangled in who _knew_ how many layers. A macabre menagerie of strange creatures of all sizes and shapes, all dead, dragged down, down, down, away from the kiss of light and life and warmth to be scattered here in total, all-encompassing, darkness, cold, and silence. 

Zim sharply tugged Dib's hair and urgently pointed to take them back to the surface when his PAK gently pinged to let him know if he had to travel back the same distance, he needed to head back now or risk running out of air. When they resurfaced into the same air bubble near the roof of the cavern, Dib scanned Zim's face with trepidation. He looked almost… frightened. 

"Are you-?" Dib hesitantly choked before Zim cut him off.

"Up," The small Irken snipped as he braced a hand against the ceiling. " _Gently._ I need to get to my PAK. I can't waste air here." Once the thin membrane slid free, Zim sucked in a lungful of stale air and braced himself on Dib's broad shoulders. He furrowed his brow as Dib swallowed thickly beneath him, if Zim had a nose they would be touching from this vantage point. 

"Did you kill them? _All_ of them?" Zim finally rasped in barely a whisper and felt Dib's breath hitch. Dib carefully searched Zim's eyes before setting his jaw.

" _Yes._ " His hands tightened around Zim's waist beneath the water. The small Irken lifted his hand to lightly trace his claw tips down Dib's cheek as his large magenta eyes slid half-closed.

" _Incredible._ " Zim purred. "You're _incredible._ " Relief cracked the tension in Dib's expression, and his head flopped forward onto Zim's shoulder with a bright laugh. He pulled the small Irken into a crushing embrace and twirled them in the darkness. 

"I knew it, I knew you'd understand." Dib's voice cracked, muffled against Zim's skin as he nuzzled into the crook of his neck. "I knew you were something special all along."

And oh, _oh,_ no one had _ever_ told Zim he was special before. He quite liked it. 

No one had ever held him like this before either, pressed flush against the Dib's chest as his deliciously large hands smoothed down the curve of his waist and over the swell of his hips. It made Zim feel warm, _strange,_ low in the pit of his gut, like some sort of pressure was building, a shapeless and directionless _urge_ that made him squirm in Dib's arms. The Dib did this to Zim sometimes, held him in ways that made the exiled Irken feel strange and shaky, wound Zim up when Dib pulled him close, so close, but never close enough. Dib's grip on his hips tightened as his lips ghosted along Zim's collarbone. 

"You're amazing," Dib breathed against his skin, and Zim bit his lip and pressed his hips up against the larger man's solid body, bright sparks of strange pleasure that made his toes curl flickered through his entire being with the friction as Dib pulled him impossibly closer. "You're so wonderful. I can't believe you came here to be with me-" Warm lips murmured against Zim's skin, tracing along his shoulder and neck before pausing to press against Zim's pulse point with a low groan. Zim mewled at the gentle praise as Dib's strong hands guided Zim's hips to grind up against him in a slow rhythm that made heat, and pleasure, and pressure pool between his thighs. "So good," Dib rasped against his pulse, sharp teeth grazing the sensitive skin as two long, dexterous tentacles wrapped around Zim's knees and gently spread his legs. "So _sweet,_ god, I can _taste_ you, you're so good, so good, you're such a good boy, Zim." Zim was melting at the whispered praise, his small claws digging into Dib's broad shoulders as his back arched, overwhelmed by sensation as another tentacle rubbed against the throbbing slit between his thighs. 

Zim had never felt like this before, had never even imagined he _could_ feel this good as his eyes fluttered shut, and he panted into the darkness. Dib mouthed along Zim's jaw, murmuring more sweet, soft praise into the Irken's skin and sealing it with deep, open-mouthed kisses against the burning flesh. Yet another tentacle snaked up between Zim's legs to hook the flimsy fabric of Zim's undergarments and shift them off to the side, out of the way, before slipping _into_ Zim's body. The Irken moaned into the darkness and ground down as much as he was able in Dib's firm grip, his legs still bound, as one tentacle thrust languidly up into him and the other's dexterous tip toyed with the plump petals that framed Zim's entrance. Pressure built with the mounting pleasure, and even Zim was startled by the loud chirp ripped from his lips as the tip of a second tentacle slipped into his slit. The stretch burned as both thick tentacles pressed deep, aching in a way that made Zim frantic, chirping rapidly and desperately thrusting his hips down, pain adding the sweetest edge to the haze of pleasure. Suddenly he found himself tumbling over that edge with a sharp cry as the building pressure broke, and searing pleasure flushed through his entire being. 

Zim was still dazed and shaking from the initial rush when he felt those tentacles slip free from his body and whimpered at the sudden emptiness. Dib shushed him roughly and pressed his lips against Zim's as he shifted them both in the darkness into a familiar position- Dib on his back with Zim splayed across his chest and torso. It was different this time, floating in darkness and silence as complete as floating in the void of space, as Dib gently shimmied Zim further down his torso.

"You can take it, I know you can, you're so amazing, Zim, I know you can do it-" Dib's voice was low, husky with lust in a way that sparked warmth between the smaller Irken's thighs as Zim eagerly spread his legs around Dib's hips and arched to allow the larger mans probing fingers access to his slit. Dib slipped one finger past the swollen folds with a low, grateful groan that rumbled through Zim's entire being, then a second, slowly thrusting until Zim was squirming in his arms. He withdrew both at once, his hand shifting to spread the folds of Zim's entrance open as something blunt, slick, and _thick_ pressed into him. Zim spasmed as the head of Dib's cock popped into his body, his poor small slit already stretched wide, and Dib's voice wavered as he rushed to soothe the Irken with a stream of encouragement and praise that left Zim trembling, pliant, and eager for more as he sank down Dib's girth with a high, shaking moan. Zim was so unbelievably _full_ he couldn't even _think,_ just roll his eyes back and chirp shamelessly into the dark as Dib grabbed his wide hips and guided him to ride his slick length. Zim was struggling to keep himself propped up on his elbows, each deep thrust pressing and rubbing sensitive spots hidden inside him he never knew he had, each breath a high, desperate moan and helplessly lewd chirp. 

"You're doing so well, Zim," Dib groaned as he grabbed one of Zim's hands and guided it between them to press against the Irken's belly with a wolfish grin. Zim's eyes widened as he _felt_ the bulge of Dib's cock thrusting hard into his body, and he came for a second time with a breathless sob, sweet pink bursting down the length of Dib's cock. " _Oh, Zim,_ " Dib's pupils were blown wide, his eyes voids of black as dark as the well that yawned beneath them, as he drank in the petite Irken coming apart in his arms. " _Ahhhhh,_ oh god, you're _perfect,_ you're perfect, you're perf-" He choked off and gritted his sharp teeth, his eyes squeezed shut as he pressed his hips up and pushed Zim down, forcing his full length into Zim's tight body. Zim gasped in the darkness as Dib's girth somehow _swelled_ between his thighs, and the pressure inside his torso spiked to the point of pain, and he writhed against Dib's iron grip with a hiss. Dib only tightened his grip in response, his voice tight and strained as he tried to soothe the smaller Irken once more. " _Shh,_ it's okay, it's okay, I'm almost done-" Finally, his eyes fluttered open once again with a sigh to find Zim hunched over and shaking, a small, but noticeable swell in his belly. Dib smoothed his hands along Zim's sides as he carefully readjusted them back upright in the water, slipping free from the Irken's abused channel with a tell-tale gush of hot fluid that made Zim's eyes pop wide and warmth flush in his cheeks. Dib didn't seem to care as he cupped Zim's cheek and kissed him, soft and slow, before pulling away to search Zim's face carefully.

"Did I hurt you?" He whispered as he lightly stroked Zim's cheek with his thumb.

"Yes." Zim answered plainly, and Dib's expression flinched to guilt before Zim lunged forward to clumsily peck his lips. "The Dib may hurt Zim like that whenever he pleases, though." 

\---

It was the latest he'd ever snuck back into the outpost.

Zim hadn't wanted to return to the shore right away. He just wanted to exist in Dib's warmth for a bit longer, and, well, one thing led to another, until they wound up doing the penetration thing a second time. The sun peeked over the edge of the horizon while Zim was floating in breathless ecstasy as Dib licked his abused channel clean beneath the waves. Zim's legs still felt shaky beneath him when he slipped into the kitchen to hurriedly prepare the morning rations for his Tallers. The whole time he kept nervously tugging down the hem of his tunic for fear that the wetness between his thighs might show through his leggings. He didn't stick around to eat once he'd finished. He figured Commander Tor was probably going to deny him his rations for breaking curfew again anyway, and Zim was keen to avoid the irritable Taller for as long as possible. Instead, he went immediately to his usual hiding spot in the farthest storage shed.

He tried to focus on filling his PAK leg but was too distracted to get into it. Finally, he tucked the honing edge back into its usual hiding spot- a gap in the floor- with a frustrated huff, shifted to lean against one of the dusty storage crates and spread his legs. Between his thighs ached dully and was undeniably wet as he tentatively ran his fingers through the swollen folds, and he softly sighed his relief when he pulled his hand back out of his leggings to discover he wasn't bleeding, just sore. He swallowed as he tilted his glove in the dusty light, clear fluid glistening on the black rubber, and wondered if it came from him or Dib. His spooch fluttered as he tentatively tasted it, and he spent the rest of his time dreamily fingering his wet slit to the fantasy of enticing Dib to pound into him again that night until he had to sneak off and get cleaned up before preparing the lunch rations. 

Zim managed to avoid his commander almost the entire day and was feeling pretty smugly pleased with himself as he slipped into the rations pantry to steal a bar to tide him over until breakfast the next day. He'd skipped all his rations for that day, so Zim felt he'd probably already been suitably disciplined anyway. He typed in the key code into the door and took a half-step back to allow the pantry door to hiss open when sharp, white-hot pain exploded across the back of his skull, and he hit the floor with a grunt. Zim whirled around to meet the narrowed red eyes of his commanding officer, plasma rifle clutched in a white-knuckle grip, and his face twisted in cold fury as he stalked towards the smaller Irken. 

"There you are, you little _rat._ " He snarled as he drew his weapon back to deliver another sharp crack against Zim's skull when the Smaller tried to haul himself to his feet, catching him above the eye. Translucent pink spattered on the polished floor as Zim sputtered indignantly, the split in his brow sending more pink gushing down his face. 

"I already skipped my rations!" Zim barked up at his commander, one thin, trembling arm raising to protect his face despite the bold tone. 

"You have no idea what kind of trouble you're in, _runt._ " Commander Tor sneered as he fished a remote from his belt. Zim's eyes widened in horror when he recognized the small PAK disrupter as Tor clicked the button, and electricity surged through Zim's body before the world around him plunged into darkness. 

When Zim came to, his arms were bound behind him on a chair in one of the vehicle hangers, a tarp spread out on the floor beneath him and a single light hanging above him, alone, except for Commander Tor.

"What is this?!" Zim spat as Tor eyed him cooly from where he leaned with a false air of nonchalance against the wall beneath a small, dark window a few meters away. 

"Where have you been sneaking off to at night, Zim?" Tor's tone was clipped, cold, yet Zim knew what kind of violence lurked beneath that calm exterior as the Irken Elite's unblinking red eyes drilled into Zim's. 

Zim's insides went cold, dread creeping up his spine as he pressed his lips tightly together. Tor's expression pinched in response, and he lurched away from the wall with a low, annoyed sigh. 

"You've always been nothing but a waste of time and resources. The Tallests should have pushed for an Existence Evaluation instead of just dumping you off on us to babysit. Everyone knows you're Defective already." Tor stated evenly, his red eyes too bright in the hangar's low light as he stalked forward with a terrible sort of patience. 

"I'm not Defective." Zim's voice was small, but he jutted his chin up and grimly met his commander's gaze.

"Then why have you been breaking curfew every night, Zim? Do you think that's _normal_ behaviour? Did you really think I wouldn't notice?" Anger smouldered beneath the Taller's words this time as Tor loomed over Zim and fear spiked beneath the bound Smaller's narrow ribs. Tor closed his eyes and turned away to collect himself for a moment before those cold red eyes slid back open to evaluate Zim with the same detached calm as always. " _Zim,_ " Commander Tor purred, and Zim hated how his name sounded on his commander's lips. "If you behave this time and answer honestly, perhaps the Almighty Tallests will show you another mercy." Zim bared his teeth at the tone Commander Tor only used when he was mocking him, his indignant anger crumpling to horror as Tor reached up to gently stroke along the length of one of Zim's sensitive antennas. "Twelve hours ago, there was an attack on the Massive by one of the insignificant rebel groups that are always buzzing around like flies." Tor hummed mildly, his gaze followed his thumb as it grazed over the crook in the tip of Zim's trembling antenna, and Zim tried to fight it, but his breaths began to come in short and quick, shallow with mounting panic. "We crushed the rebel forces, obviously, however, this attack was… different. _Targeted._ They went for the Massive's weak points immediately, as though they already knew what they were." Tor's red eyes flicked down to carefully evaluate Zim's pale face as his hand stilled on Zim's antenna. "The Control Brains suspect someone has been leaking Irken Intelligence to our enemies, and four hours ago issued a request to all Commanders to report any suspicious activity among their troops, and interrogate as necessary." His hand tightened around Zim's antenna and _twisted_ until he was rewarded with a series of small, audible pops. Zim shrieked, his whole body spasmed with the sudden, blinding pain that ripped through his nerves as Commander Tor leaned closer to hiss directly into Zim's face. " _Where_ have you been sneaking off to at night, _Zim?_ " 

Zim bit down on the inside of his cheek until the familiar taste of blood filled his mouth then cracked his eyes open in burning defiance and spat directly into his commander's eye.

Tor reeled back with a disgusted grunt, blessedly releasing Zim's antenna to rub his eye. The room was spinning, and his antenna fell limp against the side of his head, but Zim didn't have the luxury of time to collect himself. His PAK snapped open, a leg slicing through his binds as the other three lifted him from his chair. He swayed, disoriented from the damage to his antenna, as Tor whirled on him with a look of shock. 

"You're not supposed to-" The Irken Elite managed to gasp before Zim rose up and blindly lunged forward, jagged steel sinking into soft flesh as Tor cried out beneath him. Zim knew he only had the element of surprise on his side, and as soon as his Commander hit the floor, Zim lunged past him. He couldn't risk getting sucked into an actual fight he had no hope of winning with the Elite, and instead flung himself through the small window in a rain of glass. Zim forced himself back up onto his unsteady PAK legs as soon as he hit the ground and darted towards the treeline. Behind him, the hanger door began to rumble open as Commander Tor's voice, gravelly and twisted in fury, barked through Zim's- and every other Irken on the outpost's- com. An order to hunt Zim down and to shoot on sight. 

Zim crashed through the thick undergrowth, following a path he'd memorized over the past season, raw panic taking the edge off the pain. He just needed to get to the shore. He could hide for as long as he needed in one of Dib's underwater caverns, he could hide _with_ Dib, wrapped up warm and safe in his arms. Everything was going to be okay as soon as he got to the shore. 

Hope surged beneath his ribs as he caught sight of the desolate rocky shore through the trees. Pale moonlight illuminated his way as he leapt from the cover of the trees to land on his feet on the open beach. Loose stone crunched beneath his polished boots as he ran towards the water, the tides lapping in time with his pulse, relief crashing through his veins, when a bright light flickered in his peripheral vision, followed by searing pain, and Zim crashed down onto the cold rocks with a thin cry. 

Commander Tor lowered his plasma rifle at the edge of the beach and stalked across the loose stones, blood on his face and red eyes bright with rage. 

"Traitor," Tor snarled as Zim stirred against the stones. Zim tried to haul himself up, to keep running, to at least _crawl,_ the rolling waves were so, so close, but he couldn't do much more than pull himself up on his elbows. Translucent pink ran in small rivers, following the shapes of the stones beneath him to be hungrily lapped up by the waves as the sound of his commanding officer's boots stormed ever closer. " _Traitor!_ " Tor's boot caught Zim in his ribs hard enough to flip him onto his back and stomped down onto the hole his blaster had made in the Smaller's hip. "I'm going to make you confess if I have to tear you apart down to your miserable, Defective PAK-" The Elite hissed through clenched teeth as he stomped his heel back down into the open wound again, and again until he could feel the damaged bone crack beneath his boot and Zim screamed. Zim thrashed and scrambled against the loose stones, desperate like an animal to escape, as Tor ground his heel into his open wound until he'd managed to twist himself enough for a PAK leg to rip out and lunge blindly towards his Commander. Tor wouldn't be caught off guard twice, however, and pressed the button on the PAK disrupter still hooked to his belt, and Zim arched off the stones as electricity surged through his body for a second time. 

His vision was fading, fading, the last thing Zim could focus on was his hand on the blood-soaked stones, feebly reaching out as the waves slipped away, slipped away, _slipped aw-_

Commander Tor's gaze followed Zim's thin arm. He slowly turned away from his prey to watch in numb, uncomprehending disbelief as the waves receded, drawing back to expose wet stone until it dipped below the low tide mark, and further still to expose bare sand he'd never seen in his long years stationed at the isolated outpost. Out in the distance, the line of the horizon seemed to rise, a skyline of stars swallowed by the black sea. And for a time, there was silence, total and all-consuming until in the distance there arose a terrible roar.

\---

There were no legends left at the isolated research outpost, yet still, no Irkens wandered out to the beach after the sun had set. There was simply too much to do to rebuild. 

Nothing remained of the original settlement, everything and everyone had been swept away in a massive tsunami that had engulfed the low valley without warning in the night. It was a tragedy that wouldn't happen twice- now the Empire knew to pour their foundations deep here, and building supports strong. 

The age-old tales of shapeless horrors beneath the waves once whispered by the original inhabitants of the planet were lost forever. Replaced by Irken rumours, shared in hushed tones to spook the youngest cadets in the bunkhouses when the nights were darkest. That sometimes if you crept out to the windswept beach under the light of the full moon, you could see an Unknown Irken, a Smaller with a crooked antenna, walking along the water's edge. 

The skeptics would scoff at the idea, and send the others to rest with a derisive jab that the outpost wasn't spooky, just _boring,_ while deep down at the bottom of a well set in the floor of a cavern hidden beneath the tides, the original inhabitants of the outpost rested in utter darkness, cold, and silence. More bones for an ever-growing collection. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That counts as a happy end, right? Zim & Dib live happily ever after... after drowning everyone else. Win win?
> 
> This is for another zadr week prompt from the best zadr server- swimsuits/beach day ♥ This, uh, involves a beach, so it counts, right? It's also 2 days late cuz it got kind of out of hand, so I apologize for that ^^;;  
> I didn't describe it in depth here, but the subtle shifting patterns on Dib's skin were inspired by the cuttlefish, check it out [here](https://youtu.be/GDwOi7HpHtQ) for some true facts.  
> This is named after a song, as usual, cuz I'm terrible at naming things. If you're curious you can check it out [here](https://youtu.be/ZksecYquxrE)
> 
> And, as always, thank you for reading, and I hope you have a lovely day (~˘▾˘)~


	2. Chapter 2

The first thing he was aware of was pain.

His lower back and pelvis was a knot of white-hot agony. He squeezed his eyes shut even tighter as his breath caught in his throat. It had been a long, long time since he’d last been shot back during his career as a soldier, yet the memory never faded. It took him a long moment to swim through the sharp sensation to locate the hard surface beneath his shoulder- so he was lying on the ground on his uninjured side. A loose heavy woven blanket rubbed roughly against his bare skin, and he was scared to ponder what happened to his uniform. He wondered if whoever had removed it had done so to help him or to humiliate him. 

Zim’s brow furrowed, and he gritted his teeth as he turned to press his forehead against the ground. He regretted the small movement instantly as his broken antenna shifted. The world around him lurched as crackling, electric pain ripped through his nerves, and Zim’s memory of the previous night snapped into focus with sudden, terrible clarity.

Oh no-

His injuries hadn’t been severe enough to kill him. 

_Oh no oh no oh no-_

They must have brought him back to the hangar and laid him out on the tarp stretched over the cold floor. (Easier for the other Smallers to roll up and throw away once the officers finished their grisly games. No need to waste time scrubbing blood from the porous cement.) 

Commander Tor was going to mutilate his organic body until Zim confessed to either treason or consorting with a lower life form, which would lead to getting dragged in front of the Control Brains again for another Existence Evaluation. Then everyone, _everyone,_ would see- would _know-_

Raw terror spiked beneath his ribs as bile rose in his throat while the garbled, broken signals from his limp antenna made the ground feel like it was thrumming beneath him, as though the floor itself had a pulse.

He had to find a way to warn Dib, tell him to swim far, far away, and deeper down into the inky black depths than anyone from the surface could ever reach. To escape somewhere _safe_ from the Empire’s test tubes, scalpels, and bone saws. 

“ _Zim?_ ” 

The tiny Irken’s eyes snapped open as the small, tentative whisper washed through his entire being like ripples in a still pond. He whipped his head towards the source of the hesitant inquiry, only to wince with a sharp hiss at the fresh wave of staticky pain from his antenna. A large hand swept in to gently cradle Zim’s head as the wave passed, and Zim gingerly cracked his eyes open again. 

He wasn’t in the hangar, he wasn’t anywhere in the Irken outpost at _all_. His good antenna twitched against his scalp, the familiar acrid smell of steel, and fuel, and powerful sanitizers replaced with humid, stagnant air, heavy with the scent of wet earth, sea, salt, and-

“Dib?” Zim’s rough voice was hushed with both disbelief and awe as he squinted up into the darkness. The large sea being’s face pinched in response, his lips parting to suck in a tight, shaky gasp through clenched teeth, as though there wasn’t enough air in the wide cavern, before sweeping in to reverently press those warm, soft lips against Zims as he cupped the small Irken’s cheek. 

Zim melted into the tender embrace, his small hands snaking out from under his scratchy blanket to cling to the strong arms that cradled him so delicately, as though Zim were something fragile and unutterably precious. It was a long moment before Dib broke away with a ragged exhale, his large hands twitching against Zim’s petite frame. He didn’t pull away for long before dipping back down to pepper quick, desperate kisses along Zim’s cheek, temple, and forehead until the Irken squirmed his discontent and weakly batted him away. Zim finally had a chance to quickly survey his surroundings and discovered he was loosely wrapped in a heavy woven blanket on a thin mat close to the edge of a stone outcrop jutting into the dark water. Which would explain why everything was slightly damp, he supposed. His gaze flicked back to the partially submerged Dib, who was leaning over the stone edge to curl around him. 

“You’re… making water?” Zim blinked his bewilderment up at the larger man.

“You scared me,” Dib’s voice was strangely soft in the arching cavern, and he leaned back to roughly rub one of his leaking eyes with his wrist as he smoothed his other thumb gently along Zim’s cheek. “You lost so much blood, I didn’t think you’d survive. I thought you were going to slip away in my arms.” 

“And that would… upset you?” Zim’s brow furrowed as his hands clenched against Dib’s warm skin, trepidation and a tremulous, fragile sort of hope fluttering deep in his chest. 

“Are you… joking?” Dib’s expression fell to a look of open bafflement. Zim sucked in a quiet breath and held it, large magenta eyes searching Dib’s face as his good antenna dipped nervously in the wake of the larger man’s non-answer. Dib’s brow crinkled, and delicate colour blossomed along his high cheekbones and flushed the tips of his ears as he awkwardly glanced away. “Come on, Zim...“ Dib nervously licked his lip as his gaze flicked back to meet the little Irken’s. His throat worked as he swallowed and scooped up one of Zim’s small hands in his to bring it to his lips, his bright amber eyes fluttering shut. Zim expected another kiss, but Dib just held it there for a beat before continuing, his soft, warm lips grazing Zim’s skin with every word. “I would… mourn you. Every day.” His brow furrowed further as his voice dropped, whispering into Zim’s skin like a prayer in the darkness. “I would keep you with me, right here, wrapped up safe and secure, and I would worship every precious little bone you left me until all that’s left of me is bones too.” 

Zim shifted his hand to lightly cup Dib’s jaw and tilted the larger man’s head to face him. Their eyes met in the silence, and Zim felt something wonderful and enormous swell beneath his narrow ribs until he was sure it would split him open and fill the entire cavern with an unbearable brightness he couldn’t name. Dib’s eyelids fluttered shut as he leaned down, and Zim’s slid shut in anticipation as their lips melded together, this time slow, purposeful, unlike the desperation from moments before. Zim jerked away, small claws flinching against firm skin, his voice small and frightened in the warmth they shared.

“ _Commander Tor-_ ” 

“Is never going to hurt you again.” Dib cut him off gruffly, something dark smouldering in his tone. “I won’t let _anyone_ ever hurt you again.” He crushed their lips together once more, and Zim moaned softly as he fisted his hand in Dib’s hair. Dib smoothed his fingertips across the surface of Zim’s blanket, tracing the shape of his petite body as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss, and Zim melted into him with a grateful sigh. Dib only jerked back when Zim softly chirped against his mouth and gave the small Irken a shocked look as his eyes flicked down Zim’s form and back. 

“Zim… no, you’re not in any condition-” Dib began to object but trailed off when Zim lightly rested his hand on Dib’s lips. Zim knew it was a bad idea. Honestly, he could already feel the pull of sleep tugging at the edges of his awareness, wrapped in warmth and comfort that reached deeper into the core of his being than he’d ever experienced before in his long life. Still, he couldn’t help the second sweet, pleading chirp that bubbled up from his chest. Dib searched his face for a long moment before his features softened, and he leaned back down into Zim again. “You need to tell me if it hurts, alright?” He murmured against Zim’s lips as one long, dexterous tentacle slipped beneath Zim’s blanket, and Zim purred against him as the little Irken shifted his leg to make room. “You’re already wet-” Dib breathed, a note of surprise lifting his tone as Zim pressed against him to silence him, while the tip of Dib’s tentacle lapped gently at Zim’s sweet entrance, bringing the memory of Dib’s long tongue dipping into his body to the petite Irken’s mind. 

Zim felt like he was floating, his PAK pinging somewhere at the edge of his consciousness, compelling him to drift off to sleep once more so it could focus on healing him. But Dib’s lips were so soft against his, his fingers so firm as they rubbed Zim’s swollen little petals as his tentacle slipped into Zim’s body, filling him like the Irken craved. His body still hurt, but now pleasure thrummed through his veins too, and he chirped dreamily against Dib’s mouth with each slow, deep thrust. Until Dib pulled away to watch his face as Zim drifted, caught somewhere sweet and warm between pain and pleasure. Then Dib leaned down to press a lingering kiss against Zim’s temple as he removed his hand from under Zim’s blanket to fold his arms against the stone and prop his chin up. Zim softly mewled his disappointment but was too far into sleep to protest more than that. 

“It’s okay, Zim, you can rest now, you need it.” Dib’s low voice felt like it was rumbling in the stone itself, his tentacle still buried deep in Zim’s soft, wet channel. “I’m right here,” His tentacle curled, drawing a faint chirp from Zim’s lips. “And I’ll still be right here when you wake up again, I promise.” 

“You better be.” Zim purred softly and playfully pinched the tentacle between his thighs as though he could hold it in place as he nestled into the warm blanket and drifted peacefully back into oblivion. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't usually post single scenes like this so I figured I'd give it a shot & see how it goes  
> I know it's really short & not super polished either, but uhhhhhh I just wanted to put some love out there for a friend & decided to post it out here in the wild too, so thanks for sticking with me through this wild self indulgence lol  
> Thank you for reading and, as always, I hope you have a lovely day (~˘▾˘)~


End file.
